I have been looking at two pictures of Adam and Eve, one by Cranach the Elder and another by Albertinelli.

Albertinelli Mariotto’s painting shows more people in it because it is showing the whole story from when Adam was made from the dirt, to Eve being created from one of Adam’s ribs, to when they ate the apple and got expelled from the garden. Cranach has painted his picture so that we are able to see the expressions on Adam and Eve’s faces but on Albertinelli’s picture you are unable to see their facial expressions. Adam’s facial expression shows that he is unhappy and confused but Eve’s expression shows that she knows what she is doing and looks a bit suspicious. I think Cranach experienced a situation during his time which inspired him to paint this picture.

Adam and Eve are both saints and sinners because they were born forgiven and free of sins, when they took an apple of the tree of knowledge they committed a sin because they were told never to take fruit from that tree. Christians believe that we are all children of Adam and Eve so we are all sinners because God cursed them and their family so we are also cursed. In Cranach’s picture it is focusing more on the animals where as in Albertinelli’s picture it’s more about the people.

Similarities between the paintings are apples and tree, Adam and Eve, nude, paradise

Differences between the paintings are angels, Jesus, more animals, different landscape

I like the fact that in both paintings the colours are strong and bright which makes them stand out and harder to blend. Cranach painted the lion smaller than the other animals because he had never been to Africa before and didn’t know what they actually looked like. Cranach may have drawn the lion like a cat because cats and lions have many similarities. I prefer Albertinelli’s picture because it shows the whole story where as Cranach’s picture only shows one point in the story. If you didn’t know the story of Adam and Eve you could roughly work it out by looking at Albertinelli’s picture because it looks kind of like a comic strip.

I find Cranach’s picture a bit plain and boring and I think that it doesn’t really tell you anything about the story. Albertinelli’s picture is more clear and understandable. I wouldn’t go anywhere with Adam and Eve because they would be speaking in old English and might think it’s alright to walk around naked.